Indian American Man Dies of Gun Shot Wounds Sustained During Robbery Attempt at his Home in New Jersey
- Sree Ranga Aravapalli, 54, was reportedly returning from a casino on Oct. 26 early morning, when the suspect, 27-year-old Jekai Reid-John, targeted him in Pennsylvania and followed him to his home.
An Indian American man has died of gunshot wounds during a robbery attempt at his home in Plainsboro, New Jersey. Sree Ranga Aravapalli, 54, was reportedly returning from a casino on Oct. 26 early morning, when the suspect, 27-year-old Jekai Reid-John, targeted him in Pennsylvania. He then followed Aravapalli to his home and shot him during an attempted robbery.
Local news reports say that when the Plainsboro police reached Aravapalli’s home a little after 3:30 a.m., they found him with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Reid-John of Norristown, Pennsylvania is charged with murder, according to a press release from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. More charges are expected in the case, the release added. He was detained by police in Pennsylvania and incarcerated at the Montgomery County jail, awaiting extradition proceedings to New Jersey. “Upon his arrival in New Jersey, he will be lodged at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center, pending a pre-trial hearing in Superior Court,” the prosecutor’s office said.
In a Facebook post, Plainsboro police chief, Frederick Tavener, on behalf of his department, offered his “sincerest condolences” to the Aravapalli family for their tragic loss. “This is an unexpected and alarming event for their family, friends and our entire community,” he wrote. “I want to reassure the Plainsboro community that our officers and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office are conducting a thorough and systematic investigation into this matter,” he added. He promised to update the community, adding that township and prosecutor’s detectives were working “tirelessly” to solve the case.